Only a dummy gets involved with so-called "contractors." Hire a qualified actual worker yourself. Check out their resume/background, etc. RULE #1..NO ADVANCE DEPOSITS! Pay daily or weekly or upon satisfied completion according your standard, not workers. Contractors are merely employment agents. If that's the way you get work done, then go ahead and waste your money and wind up with the myriad of problems enumerated upon in the news clip above. RULE#2.. NO SMOKERS. They are lighting up on your money. RULE#3: No cell phones while working. Talk on their own time after work
Can't speak highly enough of the service we received from James and his team. I did my due diligence and met with 3 painters. If I'd have met with James first, I might have skipped the other meetings. He talked me out of some extra work that wouldn't have come out the way i'd envisioned and showed me a packet full of successful projects, happy clients that dated back to the 1970s. I'd already researched him and figured that while he was amazing, he'd be most likely be the most expensive, especially after how prepared he was in the meeting. When he sent me the quote and I was stunned, 5k cheaper than the second ranked painter on Yelp. When the workers came they took care of all the stuff I'd seen other reviewers mention, removing old phone lines, some stucco work, but one thing I didn't expect is that one of my awnings had some dry rot that I'd planned to get fixed. There was slight language barrier but the workers took it into their own hands to saw off and repair the awning before painting it. Wow! I am a small business owner myself and understand that it can be exhausting to maintain a high level of service and care for your customers over time, but it's clear that James is still very dedicated. That's why he's #1. That's why he's staying there. Thank you James and co!

Paint will be your next-biggest cost, at anywhere from $20 to $70 or more per gallon, depending on the sheen, the grade you’ve chosen and any special features. Some paints, for instance, are mold resistant. Others suppress smells or require fewer coats. Some have a lifetime warranty. Paints with warranties, however, may not be worth a higher price. In Consumer Reports tests approximating nine years of wear, only a few exterior paints and stains with lifetime warranties held up well. But “you’ll grow tired of the color long before a good-quality paint wears out,” Bancroft says.

PSA: Color psychology is a thing. The right soothing hue can work wonders for your mind and soul. You might think that only works for pale blues, but the contrast of a light and dark color — or, in this case, off-white walls with chocolate brown and deep blue accents — has a powerful effect. "The darker color grounds the room, and then the lighter runs right up to the ceiling and makes it feel higher. It creates this serene atmosphere," designer Laura Bohn told us.
Three referrals should be enough to assess the quality of work as well as the communication skills of the painter. Ask about the overall quality of the work, the work style of the painter, how the work has held up over time, and if they would hire him or her again. Be wary of any professional that refuses to give you references; a quality painter should be happy to have to speak to past clients.
Unfortunately, there are plenty of cases where a painter has stolen items from a home or caused damage to the house or injury to the homeowner. Subcontractors may not be as skilled as employees, and the contractor you're hiring may not have much experience working with them, making them more of a risk. Additionally, ask if the painters are employees or subcontractors, and what the screening or hiring process is like.
Updated review from a 1 to a 4. Our start was a bit rough, but Nick works hard to make his customers happy and I appreciate that, even for a small job. After a late appointment and cancelled work date, Lighthouse Painting met my tight deadline by starting the job at 6 am. Their pricing was the most competitive, the quality of work is good, and the painters are professional. His team caulked and painted my baseboards, painted a fireplace, and sanded and painted a wood wall in 6 hours. Thanks Lighthouse!

Yes the pricing does change, and quite significantly. I have worked inside the paint industry on counter sales outside sales and application for over 10 years. One thing many people do not understand is, the resins in the paint are more expensive to produce the higher the sheen goes. Therefore the company is at of higher cost making the paint, which in terms they charge more for the paint. I have seen a 15$ variance between flat-semi-gloss it is not uncommon and is not unrealistic to pay more for a higher sheen. Another thing to add is when doing samples on your wall prior to a painter coming is a good idea, however do not do them in huge squares with heavy coats, remember you are just wanting an idea. A lot of times the issue comes up of the paint not covering the sample coats, in fact it is covering quite well, however the paint sample applied is often times much darker than the wall color, creating a contrasting difference from the lighter surrounding wall and the sample placed on the wall. I recommend getting a piece of sheet rock and using it for the samples so you can move around with it etc.

Not only do I agree with what you are saying; but, I will not use Angie's List for referrals again. Their "A" rated painter did some of the exact things they are now warning against; however, they are still rated "A". I sent in a review and it took eight weeks to post it. They allowed the contractor to lie about what happened as a response. I had proof and photos. Angie's List is a scam; instead ask neighbors and friends for referrals!
I had the interior of my home painted (kitchen, & cabinets) the final product looks AMAZING!! Theresa in the office was very helpful and quick to schedule my project. Nick, the owner came out to give me an estimate he was very professional, on time, and very knowledgeable in his trade he also had great design ideas and wonderful taste in colors the workers were very polite, respectful and clean daily on the job. I highly recommend this company for any project big or small!!!
Stacee, I agree with you completely, from adding water to latex paint to taking whites from job to job. This article makes all painters look like scam artists. You get what you pay for people! There is no denying that there are scammers out there but in my experience, most painters are under paid any ways so if you want a good paint job, you are going to pay for it. If you just want a new color on your walls real quick, and that is what you pay for then that's what you pay for people. Most painters get the crap end of the stick and are left with making an entire house look good when it took a lot more than a painter to build the house in the first place. Good painters do not get enough credit. They are not all scammers who are cutting corners!

WE met with 3 different painting companies before we met James Lee and when we did we knew we wanted him to work on our project. We had only planned to paint the trim on our house and James did not try to talk us into any additional work, though after our initial meeting, we decided to paint the entire exterior of our home. I base my review on the following criteria for which I will give 5 stars in each category.

HIGHLY recommend this company. We needed to hire someone to paint the interior of our home. The owner came over initially to give a quote and was very nice. Talked to him about his family and his business. He is very experienced and takes pride in doing great work. They are licensed and have workers compensation insurance, which was really important for us. The actual painters included Sandy, who was amazing and helped me select the right paint colors for our house.

At Five Star Painting of Boulder, we bring our five star quality to every interaction we have with our customers, from the initial phone call and in-home estimate to the final finishing touches. We proudly serve Boulder and surrounding areas in Colorado. If you are ready to discuss your house painting needs with us, be sure to fill out a free estimate form on our website! You can also give us a call to find out any additional information.

We paint all types of projects — interior and exterior residential, commercial, public, and industrial buildings. Our expert painters are dedicated to providing our clients with prompt, professional, quality work. For over 30 years, we have provided friendly service at affordable rates. Our goal at House Painting Inc. is to instill confidence in our ability to meet all your expectations so that you know you are always our number one focus.
Also, don't be afraid to ask if the painters are trustworthy people. Unfortunately, there are plenty of cases where a painter has stolen items from a home or caused damage to the house or injury to the homeowner. Subcontractors may not be as skilled as employees, and the contractor you're hiring may not have much experience working with them, making them more of a risk. Additionally, ask if the painters are employees or subcontractors, and what the screening or hiring process is like. If the company conducts background checks, that's a good sign.
Because of our wet/cold weather, another painter was booked out through August as of May 7th, 2016. Anyone even thinking about a VA loan refi should get estimates for painting and pest inspections BEFORE starting on the loan paperwork, otherwise you will have difficulty getting painting and inspections done in a timely manner (and it is my understanding this is common with VA loans.)
When the homeowner is at the point of hiring a painter, they generally will have colors selected or at the very least a color in mind. I always ask for the colors before I bid a job. Dark colors, high sheen colors and specialty finishes require more labor, this drives price. If its not a color change or I'm going over a similar color I give the pricing option of one or two coats. The best advise I can give based on 25 years in the business is to put it all in writing,colors, brands of paint preferred, when the work can be done, who moves furniture and how payment will be handled. I never get up front money. BTW you most definitely get what you pay for with paint. Higher quality products results in and better looking job. Don't be a cheapskate when it comes to paint or the painting contractor.
• One room or the whole house? Applying one coat in one room is a reasonable DIY Saturday project (especially if you have help and beer). Multiply the time spent moving furniture, prepping walls and sanding old trim by the number of rooms in the house, and you might want to hire real help. It's the same outside. You can probably tackle one shady garage wall that needs a little scraping and sanding plus a coat of paint, but covering all surfaces of the house is usually best left to a pro.
I managed commercial construction projects for many years, have built and remodeled several properties, and never once have I encountered any of these scams. The tone of this article is deeply troubling. The author seems to be saying that ALL painting contractors are inherently dishonest, and that has not been my experience. The underlying advice here is sound: get it all in writing and cover as many contingencies as possible--so pointing out potential pitfalls like coat coverage is helpful. But do that in the spirit of clear communication of expectations, not with the expectation that the person you are hiring will try to cheat you at every turn. Not every contractor takes outrageous advantage of change orders; not every contractor will sneak past necessary preparation and/or repairs. Contractors of all sorts get a bad rap as it is; reinforcing a stereotype with articles written from this point of view just seems unproductive.
Another factor to consider is the height and features of your home. An example would be a house completely trimmed in Cement Fiber, which does chalk if you do not purchase the correct paint and apply enough of it. Some houses in Coastal Areas are already on 15+ft Stilts (off ground) and then another 20ft high at times. This requires rental equipment and careful cost estimation based on the difficulty of the overall project, The best advice that I can give is to get several estimates in your area and make a decision a couple of weeks afterwards. You will "weed out" per se the individuals that do not have the patience to finish a project that was started-as well as those who haggle you for payment (sometimes daily) before project is completed. I have heard some wild stories from a lot of Homeowners. Common sense and your intuition will make you aware of anyone that you should not hire.
Performance Painting Contractors is comprised of trained, knowledgeable full­-time painters who pay attention to details & help create "world-class" facilities . Whether you are in need of industrial coatings for your company or new protection for your commercial building, Performance Painting is the Florida based painting company that can provide you with an unmatched customer experience of quality work, professionalism and expertise.

Climate is another factor to consider. Sunlight, wind, rain and salty weather can all wear out exterior paint. Oil-based paint is durable against wind, rain and temperature changes, but sunlight tends to degrade it. Alkyd paint chalks and sheds very thin layers when it begins to wear. Latex paint is the more durable option for very sun-drenched and relatively dry climate areas. Latex paint with high vinyl content should be avoided, however. Acrylic resin is by far the more durable binder for outdoor latex paint.

Wow, James Lee's painters are amazing- David and his team were professional, worked incredibly fast, did not make mistakes, and even did some extra work for us free of charge. This is one of the best businesses I have ever found through yelp over the last 10+ years. We got three different bids to paint our home and James Lee's was significantly lower than our highest but also quite a bit more than our lowest (although I do believe the lowest bid painters were planning on painting much less & cutting some corners). James gave us the most professional & comprehensive bid we received, just as others have mentioned. He had a wonderful portfolio of work and I am so glad we chose his painters for our home. Apparently James Lee gets a price cut from Dunn Edwards Paint because they purchase A LOT of paint and it 100% felt like this discount was passed on to my family.
We have a deep desire to prove to each and every client that hires us how a professional team of quality home painters works together to accomplish the goal of complete customer satisfaction to make sure the next time you need a painter there is no question on who you are going to call because of the previous experiences that you have had with our group. Painters often tint primer close to the color of the top coat, but Wallis thinks that's a recipe for "holidays," or missed spots. Instead, he tints his primer a contrasting color. "If I can see the color coming through, I know I need to apply more paint," he says. On the cottage shown in this story, he chose a gray-blue primer to go under a peach top coat.
Nick and the whole team were excellent. We couldn't have been any happier with the estimate, or the quality, timeliness, and cleanliness of the work. They were very respectful of my neighbors and worked hard to make sure the jobsite was clean and safe. I never got the sense that I had to check up on them over the course of the job. Everyone at Lighthouse was PROFESSIONAL. And, of course, we were thrilled with the end result. (The house looks a million percent better.)
I was taught to paint by a professional and when estimating the amount of paint needed, I always allow for a second coat just to make sure of coverage. We interviewed a painter who tried to tell me I bought poor quality paint without knowing where I purchased it, and stated he would have to buy all new paint. He had not seen the cans and was just guessing so I asked him where I should buy paint from now on. It was the same place I had purchased my paint and he wanted to charge me an extra 20 a gallon more than what I paid for. Needless to say, I have interviewed numerous painters and they are not all honest.
6/12/2018 Thank you for your review. We have researched our records and have been unable to match a completed… Thank you for your review. We have researched our records and have been unable to match a completed project with your information. If this is a project we have completed under another name; we would like to make the effort to address your concerns. We value our client's feedback. Best regards, Nick Read more HIGHLY recommend this company. We needed to hire someone to paint the interior of our home. The owner came over initially to give a quote and was very nice. Talked to him about his family and his business. He is very experienced and takes pride in doing great work. They are licensed and have workers compensation insurance, which was really important for us. The actual painters included Sandy, who was amazing and helped me select the right paint colors for our house. They finished on time and for the price that was quoted. The work itself is high quality and if we ever need something painted in the future, I will be using them again.
Oh, where to begin? Let me start with 'watered down paint'. 25-50% before the material gets to the site? Impossible. You would basically be painting with water at that point. It would be less of a hassle, and cost, to simply use proper material. You would be forced to apply three coats instead of two, as the coverage would be horrible. Whatever cost you think might be saved in materials would be lost in labor.

Painting contractors must also carry out administrative and marketing duties. They prepare final accounts for customers based on the original estimates and any additional work. They analyze the cost of the job compared with the estimate to calculate their profit. They market their business through activities such as setting up websites, asking customers for references or contacting property maintenance companies with details of their services.

I did go with the highest bidder and it did not matter. They did a shoddy job and threatened to take me to court when I pointed out mistakes that they made based on their work standards stated on the quote. I have not paid them yet, just filed a complaint with the BBB. No money down asked, no contract signed. The boss stated I have to high of expectations just because I live in a 121 year old house!
O'Neil patches shallow holes and divots with Ready Patch because it dries fast, sands smooth, and stays flexible. Deep cracks and rotten spots are best repaired with two-step epoxies, such as those made by Advanced Repair Technology. (For a step-by-step instructions, see Repairing Rot with Epoxy.) The days of using polyester auto-body fillers on wood are over. "They cure too hard," says Portland, Oregon–based painting contractor Kathleen George. "They look good at first, but then they peel away."
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6/13/2018 Excellent! We are happy to hear you are pleased with the results of your home improvement project.… Excellent! We are happy to hear you are pleased with the results of your home improvement project. Thank you for taking the time and effort to rate/review Lighthouse Painting. We value our client's comments and feedback! Thank you for your business and it was a pleasure working with you! Nick Read more Specialty painting by the hour costs between $40 to $50 on average. Paint might range between $75 to $90, costing an additional $40 to $50 per hour. The painter's skill and experience are also determining factors in the cost of specialty painting. While a freelance artist might charge $25 to $30 an hour, a very skilled professional might charge $80 or more. Some painters might also charge $60 or more for a consultation. Trompe l'oeils, in particular, will run on the expensive end of the price spectrum. Return to Top
Prep. For new work the painter accepts the finish done by the drywall or plaster and once he accepts the work and starts painting he owns any wall repairs. Existing work is a different thing. I take a high intensity light and circle the kinds of defects with chalk so we are all in agreement before they start. Sometimes this results in a higher price and we have to compromise on how much to do... The article and comments were great information to have before deciding how to go about getting a painting job done. I think the important point is that there are several key choices (who to do the work; color, sheen, quality, of paint; how many coats; amount of prep/repairs to be done and by whom, how long the job will take, provisions for changes, how detailed the contract needs to be; advanced deposit/progress payments/final payment; final inspection, etc.) that need to be made and it requires advanced research and planning in order to become well enough informed to make the right choices. Then it requires spending sufficient time to check materials and inspect the quality of the work while it is on-going, raher than waiting to do it all at the end. President Reagan's philosophy of "Trust, but verify." applies. State Contractors LIC # 388334 , Carry Workers Compensation Insurance, Liablity Insurance , 36 Years In Painting Business, Over 650 A+ Review in Angie' s List .We paint all types of projects -- interior and exterior residential, commercial, public, and industrial buildings. We are dedicated to providing our clients with prompt, professional, quality work. For over 36 years, we have provided friendly service at affordable rates. Our goal at House Painting Inc. is to instill confidence in our ability to meet all your expectations so that you know you are always our number one focus.
While we are happy to be recognized for our quality customer service we also realize that if we treat others the way we want to be treated then most if not all of our customers will be pleasantly surprised by using our company as their personal home painters throughout the Denver metro area. We are eager to meet many more of you this coming house painting season too.
When the workers came they took care of all the stuff I'd seen other reviewers mention, removing old phone lines, some stucco work, but one thing I didn't expect is that one of my awnings had some dry rot that I'd planned to get fixed. There was slight language barrier but the workers took it into their own hands to saw off and repair the awning before painting it. Wow!
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Never, never hire "Hanks painting" , he is a scam. He charged me 1800 for an 800 sqft house, with the agreement of painting the gutters. He not only didn't paint the gutters, the paint of the walls and front door is pealing off. He did not sand the door and the wall color is washing off. His people don't know the work and he much less than them since he painted the door.